84 Years After Disappearance, Jewish WWII Hero Brought to Burial
A moving chapter of closure unfolded this week in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, as the remains of Jewish World War II soldier Samuel Ilyich Shalit were brought to kevuras Yisroel 84 years after he disappeared on the battlefield • Read More
Shalit, a platoon commander in the Soviet Army’s 144th Infantry Division and a native of the Krasnoyarsk region, went missing in 1942 during fierce fighting against the Nazis and was listed as missing in action for more than eight decades. For years, his family searched for answers, even submitting testimony in his memory to Yad Vashem in an effort to preserve his legacy.
In a dramatic breakthrough, Russian military search teams recently located his remains during a special recovery operation near the village of Nelyuchi in the Novgorod region. Alongside the remains, teams discovered his military identification medallion, miraculously preserved and still bearing his name, allowing authorities to conclusively identify him and return him home to Siberia.
The emotional funeral began with a military ceremony near the Eternal Flame memorial in Krasnoyarsk before continuing to the local Jewish cemetery. Rabbi Binyomin Wagner, shliach and chief rabbi of the city, accompanied the fallen soldier on his final journey, reciting Kel Maleh Rachamim and Kaddish together with family members and members of the Jewish community.
“It felt as though history itself paused for a moment to restore a person’s name, dignity, and rightful place among his family,” Rabbi Wagner reflected after the ceremony. “After 84 years of uncertainty and pain, Samuel’s war finally came to an end, and he merited a proper Jewish burial according to tradition.”
The historic event also highlighted the remarkable revival of Jewish life in Krasnoyarsk under Rabbi Wagner and his family, who have led the community for more than 25 years. Today, the city is home to a thriving Jewish community with a restored historic shul, educational institutions, chesed programs, and vibrant communal life serving thousands of Jews across the region.
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